Thursday, January 31, 2013

Today's Tarot: Strength (patience, strength, inner knowing)

Today's Tarot: Strength

(patience, fortitude, inner knowing)

Ah, my favorite card in the deck and not just because it depicts a woman lovingly stroking a lion.

I've always loved this card because its name belies its true meaning. The word strength implies outer, physical strength (think the Chariot card if you want to go in that direction). It makes us think of some sort of display of that strength. But the Strength card is wilier and sneakier than that. It doesn't mean strong-arming a thing. Quite the contrary, it means internal moxie, if you will. It is all about knowing your inner landscape and being at peace with it.

If you look deep inside yourself, you will find a well, no, an ocean of reserves, often, when you least expect it to actually be there. We spend our lives being tested in one way or another. And, we often feel we have failed either others' expectations of us or more importantly, our own expectations of what we can do and whom we can be.

The Strength card calls on us to go inward, to go deep, and come out the other side with the certainty that we know who we are, we understand what we can do, and we are at peace about that state of ourselves. Then, we can move forward from that place of certainty and do whatever we need to do.

So, today, if you find yourself tested, don't be a gladiator. You don't need to prove a thing to anyone but yourself. Instead of reacting strongly, close your eyes, breathe deeply and connect your innerscape with the universe's outerscape. Don't know how to do that? It's not too difficult. As your eyes are closed, breathe in and note the sensation of taking in life-giving air. Send your senses out and note what you hear, smell, and touch. Acknowledge the clothes on your skin, the hair on your head, the sounds, hums, whirs, and chirps around you, and the feel of your body, mind, and spirit in this place and this time. The beauty of this connection is that it helps us remember that we are all part of it all and that goes for us, that which challenges us, and those who stand with us or against us. Once you have that connection established, open your eyes and face your challenge. With that strength, you will prevail.

And when in doubt, remember what that fabulous sage Youmei Zhang says so eloquently: "If not this door, another door."